N15 Benedict Pilgrim Path Upper Austria - Cistercian Monastery Wilhering - Marchtrenk

In the monastery courtyard of Wilhering Monastery, we take the path to the southern gate and reach Linzer Straße B129, which we follow to the left. At the cross paths after the monastery, we turn right at the fork onto the Prinzenweg, which immediately leads us uphill into the Kürnburger Forest. At the buildings with the wayside shrine on the left, we turn right after about 200m and the gravel path begins. The path now leads us uphill for about 2 km. This is followed by a flat section of about 2.5 km with the highest point (458m above sea level). Along the way, there is also a turning up to the summit of Kürnberg (metal summit cross, additionally about 2 km distance and almost 100 meters altitude). On our marked Benedict Pilgrim Path, it then goes downhill through the forest for just over half a kilometer and we reach the first square farmhouse (Most tavern at Schneiderbauer). Then go downhill about 400m along the access road; at the houses below, we cross the side road (Leitengraben) straight ahead and then walk the field path along the forest edge. At the end of the forest and just before the houses, a field path leads us right down over a meadow and then a path through a short forest section directly to Dörnbach with its famous pilgrimage church (Our Lady of Good Counsel)..

(Wilhering Monastery - Pilgrimage Church Dörnbach: approx. 7 km)

In Dörnbach, we follow Pfarrhofweg to the large Landgasthof Fischer and the Dörnbach Florianibräu, where we follow the main street (Dörnbacher Straße) to the left. We reach the next village (Hitzing). Here, after the left curve, we turn right onto the residential path "Am Hitzinger Berg" to bypass the settlement. We then reach a main street (Hitzinger Straße), which we follow for about 100m to the right, and then turn left before the next houses onto the village path "Am Hochland." After about 300m, we cross the tracks of the Lokalbahn Linz-Waizenkirchen and after another approx. 300m reach the village Thurnharting. Here, we follow "Kirchberger Straße" through the village. At the junction of "Thurnhartinger Straße," one could take the route of the Benedict Pilgrim Circular Route Traunviertel to Traun and further to St. Florian Monastery.

We continue along Kirchberger Straße here for about 600m to the next village Kirchberg. First, we pass through a settlement and later enter the village, where we follow the federal highway 133 to the right for about 200m and pass the Kirchberg Parish Church and opposite the Gasthaus Kirchenwirt.

(Pilgrimage Church Dörnbach - Kirchberg Parish Church: approx. 4.5 km)

At the end of the village, we turn left onto Großharter Straße. The path now gently descends. We go first through the settlement, then turn toward the forest edge and after about 900m cross another village path (Eggenstraße) straight into the next village (Gumpolding). There we keep left at the crossroad and, in front of the large square farmhouse visible on the left, we go right and then immediately left again at the intersection. We now follow the path along the Gumpolding Creek and then turn left after about 700m, cross the creek and find the Cäcilien Chapel. It goes slightly uphill for about 500m through fields and at the intersection, we follow Kranholzerstraße to the left. Attention: Above the homesteads, after about 500m, we must turn right onto the field path. We later follow this along a forest edge and after about 800m reach Niederbucherstraße. Here we turn right and go through the village Oberbuch.

After two square farms, at the crossings, we first keep right, then immediately left, and after another approx. 100m right again (not straight on the field path). Lienemayerstraße leads us directly to a large square farm (called Lienemayer) and then almost flat left for about 1 km into the village Oftering. At the street triangle, we go left and then immediately right again through the village and find the Oftering Parish Church on the left, a two-aisled, late Gothic hall church dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul.

(Kirchberg Parish Church - Oftering Parish Church: approx. 6.5 km)

At Paschinger Straße crossing there, we go right for just under 100m and then turn left onto Sportplatzstraße. We follow this straight ahead, cross Paschinger Straße L1227 again after about 300m, and then walk a gravel road slightly downhill and then flat for a good kilometer to the large railway line (Westbahn). There we keep right and follow the Brandhofweg parallel to the railway track; during this, we cross the Hörschinger Bach and pass a large square farm. After about 800m, we leave the railway line and turn sharply right onto Mitterbachner Straße; we cross the Hörschinger Bach again and reach three large homesteads. After these, we turn immediately left and follow the field path to Oberbachham with a large square farm. Here we go right for about 200m on Bärenstraße L1226, but then turn left again onto Rohrerstraße. At the square farm with the Gasthaus "Zum Alten Backhaus", we turn right around, return after a few meters to Paschinger Straße L1227, which we now follow to the left for about 100m. After the next square farm, we turn right onto Grillparzerstraße and now go along the edge of the settlement directly to the next village Holzhausen with its late Gothic parish church, dedicated to Saint Vitus.

(Oftering Parish Church - Holzhausen Parish Church: approx. 6 km)

After the parish church, we continue straight for a short distance, turn left before the municipal office onto the street "Am Welserberg," and then at the fork left again onto the village path "Am Weinberg." We go to the roundabout and cross it straight. It then goes on straight for about 1.5 km, passing through a small forest area. At the crossroad, we keep right, cross the Perwender Bach, and immediately after the bridge, turn right towards the square farms. After the last one, we turn left onto the field path (Negrellistraße), which later is paved through a settlement. Attention: After the first houses, we must turn left onto Rilkestraße, then before the parking lots (private property), it goes left again and then right. And then right again before the large railway line (Westbahn). We are now already at Marchtrenk Station, where we find a railway underpass and reach the other side of the railway line. There, we keep left before the parking lot and then immediately turn right onto "Ziehrerstraße." After the field and the three buildings, we turn right again and after about 50m left onto the footpath. After about 100m, we cross Leharstraße straight and now almost straight along Waldstraße to the municipal cemetery and then further straight to the cross street (Rennerstraße). At this, we turn left, follow it for about 300m, and then turn right onto Kirchengasse. This now leads us directly—as the name reveals—to the old and new parish church of Marchtrenk, dedicated to Saint Stephen.

(Holzhausen Parish Church - Marchtrenk Parish Church: approx. 6.5 km)